Edmonton Oilers News

Whitney springing leaks for Oil
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March 16
CBSSports.com
 columnist Michael Hurcomb
"What is the outlook for Ryan Whitney down the stretch? Whitney is doing his best to put a positive spin on bad situation, but the veteran defenseman was one of the biggest losers from a Fantasy standpoint at this year's trade deadline. Aside from the fact the Oilers are terrible in all facets -- including offense (2.43 goals per game) -- another concern is Whitney's health. He said his surgically-repaired left foot -- which cost him 33 games to start the 2008-09 season -- is fine, but he added he is battling an issue with his right foot. He said it's nothing too serious where it will be a major factor, but we beg to differ. Whitney has totaled four goals, 29 points and a minus-6 rating ..."
Oilers lose 5-3 to Columbus
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March 16
Edmonton Journal
 
"Forget the Gipper. The Edmonton Oilers wanted to win one for the Dubber. "That was our goal, to get him a win," said defenceman Aaron Johnson after the Columbus Blue Jackets had bettered the Oilers 5-3 in a back-and-forth, unpolished showdown of the Western Conference's cellar dwellers. Devan Dubnyk, who got the start, is now 0-8-2 with a ballooning goals-against average of 4.16 and an .868 save percentage. His counterpart Jeff Deslauriers has fared only marginally better as the two jockey for next season's backup job. Deslauriers is 14-24-3 with a .901 save ­percentage and 3.16 GAA. "He kept us in there. He deserved a win," Johnson said after Dubnyk had made 24 saves. "He's obviously ..."
Cellar twins won't mail it in
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March 16
Edmonton Sun
 
"If misery really does love company, it was a big group hug Monday night in Columbus. It was the Blew Jackets versus the Copper and Blew, two clubs that envisioned big things this season, sitting 14th and 15th in the Western Conference and meeting in what amounted to little more than a support group for teams playing out the string. "It's been tough," said Jackets defencemen Mike Commodore, who knows exactly how the woeful Oilers are feeling. "This is kind of new for me, being out of it with 15 games left, and it's not a lot of fun. It's one thing if you're out with two games left, because right up to the final week you're still in it and every game matters -- it's 'We've got to win, we've ..."
Horcoff starting to click
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March 15
Edmonton Sun
 
"Eight points in eight games? Plus-five in that span? Shawn Horcoff will be the first to tell you his recent hot spell is too little, too late. But if he's going to turn his game around for next season, he might as well start now. "I want to finish strong," said Horcoff, who brings a modest three-game point-scoring streak into tonight's game in Columbus. "It's not even about points; I'm not going to save the season that way. I just want to play good hockey. I feel like I've done that the last little while." With 26 points and minus- 28 rating to show for a $7 million US salary, Horcoff's season couldn't be saved statistically even if Alex Ovechkin stepped in to help. But this is at least ..."
Cogliano keeping cool
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March 15
Edmonton Sun
 
"Andrew Cogliano tried agonizing over a season gone stale. Didn't work. He tried laying awake at night, worrying about his future with the Edmonton Oilers. That didn't work, either. All it got him was tired and stressed. So he figured to hell with it, just play and let the future take care of itself. "Mentally, I exhausted myself over the course of the year," said the 22-year-old forward. "I was beating myself up over it, trying to figure out what was the problem."
Minard takes long way home
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March 14
Edmonton Journal
 
"This tale of old friends and new beginnings started in Anchorage during the 2004-05 NHL lockout. Chris Minard was playing for the Alaska Aces, one of the many past employers on his resume. Scott Gomez, in his hometown during the shutdown, had hooked up with the Aces to stay in shape. It was fitting then that Minard would play his first game as an Edmonton Oiler against Gomez and the Montreal Canadiens. The hosts scored a 5-4 shootout victory at the Bell Centre on Thursday. "You always look at the guys who have been in the league for a while, the path they took. It makes you realize you don't ever want to give up," said Minard, whose path to the bigs was much, much longer than the one Gomez ..."
Deslauriers, like Oilers' playoff chances, has had it
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March 14
Edmonton Journal
 
"Getting even wasn't an option once Jeff Deslauriers found himself on the hook for five goals in the first 27 minutes of Saturday's last place showdown with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Getting mad? That was doable. After he was bowled over in the crease, he took a swing at Colton Orr, then challenged Dion Phaneuf to a duel. "I was just getting tired of getting run down by other players. That's hockey. You play with emotion," Deslauriers said after the dust had settled and the Leafs had posted a 6-4 victory. The result officially pushed the Oilers out of the playoff picture and moved the Leafs nine points ahead in the league standings. Both teams have 14 games left to play, which ensures that ..."
Minard gets close look
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March 14
Edmonton Sun
 
"Sometimes, most times, when a player is called up from the minors he can tell by the numbers that he doesn't have a chance to stick. Not this time. Not on this team. As the Oilers attempt to change the face of their fledgling franchise, they are leaving no stone unturned in their search for fresh talent. Starting in their own back yard. So Chris Minard, a 28-year-old with eight minor league teams on his resume, is getting his shot. Before the Oilers try bringing in new players over the summer, they'll be scouring their own organization for hidden gems like Ryan Potulny. "He's setting up for his future," said Oilers head coach Pat Quinn, who wants to keep Minard in the lineup Saturday in ..."
Oilers tired of losing
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March 14
Edmonton Sun
 
"OK, dudes, take it easy with the points already. You're starting to make people nervous. It wasn't very long ago that the Edmonton Oilers, also known as the Dead Men Walking, were free and clear for last place in the NHL. That first or second pick overall in this summer's entry draft was in the bank. Guaranteed. A lock. Now, after going 2-1-1 in their last four games, for five of a possible eight points, the bottom of the barrel is no sure thing any more. A win Saturday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs would reduce what was once a stranglehold on last place to just five measly points. Too close for comfort if you ask the legion of Edmonton fans who've been counting their draft-day ..."
Homecoming for Quinn
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March 14
Edmonton Sun
 
"Pat Quinn isn't about to ruin his homecoming with a bunch of grudges. Not that he has any. Despite being fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs four years ago, he has nothing but fond memories and good things to say about his time here. The firing part wasn't so great, but he buried that dead horse long ago. "As far as I'm concerned I had a tremendous time here," said the second winningest coach in Leafs history. "I had some wonderful athletes to work with, met some wonderful people and the organization was terrific to me. I enjoyed it. I was, quite frankly, disappointed when the change came. But you move on. I don't have time to deal in that part of it." The Leafs are planning a brief video ..."
Cogliano role-ing along
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March 14
Edmonton Sun
 
"The playoff hopes disappeared long ago, he has gone from budding phenom to question mark, his self-worth has taken a bruising and his team doesn't quite know what to do with him. So, don't tell Andrew Cogliano there is nothing to play for down the stretch. The 22-year-old former star with the St. Michael's Buzzers is fighting for his NHL life — at least the Edmonton Oilers' chapter. "This year has been very trying, not only for myself, but the entire team," said Cogliano, as evidenced by the seven goals and 18 points. The Oilers expected more. So, did Cogliano, actually. But, for the first time in his hockey career, the Woodbridge native has found himself playing on the third and fourth ..."
Tribute touches Quinn
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March 14
Edmonton Sun
 
"The Maple Leafs had a brief Welcome Back Pat video during the first TV timeout Saturday night, a move that definitely struck a chord with their crusty ex-coach. "I didn't see what was up there but I could hear the music," he said of The Mighty Quinn theme music. "This was a terrific place for me both back when I was a player and the years I was coaching here. That was a nice touch tonight. As disappointed as I am in how our team played, that part had a little satisfaction to it. "I think I had a little bit of a love affair with the fans here." He wasn't all that enamoured with his own guys, though, after watching the Leafs crash Jeff Deslauriers's net all night. Eventually Deslauriers lost ..."
Quinn: One 'hello' of a return
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March 14
Toronto Sun
 
"There was a Friday night dinner at a swank Toronto restaurant with Cliff Fletcher, the general manager whose Atlanta Flames team he captained back in the 1970s. There was a Saturday morning chat with Brian Burke, the man he brought to the Vancouver Canucks as director of hockey operations in 1987. There were hugs for security guards, handshakes for old friends and enough calls of "hello" to last a lifetime. Pat Quinn was back in Toronto. And, man, was he busy. For the first time since he was fired by the Maple Leafs in 2006, Quinn was coaching an NHL game at the Air Canada Centre, bringing his struggling Edmonton Oilers to town."
Familiar face returns as Quinn guides Oilers
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March 13
Toronto Star
 
"If Pat Quinn has any regrets, it's that he hasn't won the Stanley Cup yet. Now the coach of the Edmonton Oilers, Quinn reminisced Friday about his tenure with the Maple Leafs – a club he still has his fingerprints on, saying he believed a couple of teams back there he thought were good enough to go all the way. "I've been to the finals a couple of times," said Quinn. "I always felt I had some teams in Toronto, two, maybe three, that were capable of winning a Cup. We didn't do it. I guess that's what sports is all about. "At the end of the day, for me the pleasure has always been the people I've been able to work with and get some good results. I think there are probably 700 or 800 players, ..."
There's no W in Dubnyk
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March 13
Edmonton Sun
 
"If good things really do come to those who wait, then Devan Dubnyk's first win in the NHL is going to be a thing of beauty. A perfect 10, which is kind of a coincidence because he's been waiting nine long games now for that story he can tell his kids one day about his first W. All he has to show for it so far are more Ls than the chorus of Deck the Halls. OK, not quite. Dubnyk is 0-7-2 and there are eight Ls in Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. But you get the point, and so did the Oilers, who had to settle for the consolation prize after the Montreal Canadiens nipped them 5-4 in a shootout Thursday. "It's getting closer and closer, I guess," said the 23-year-old goaltender, who came one ..."
Katz's fortune slips: Forbes magazine
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March 12
Edmonton Journal
 
"It's been a rough year for Daryl Katz. His Edmonton Oilers sit dead last in the league, and Katz's fortunes slipped to $1.4 billion US, down from $1.5 billion last year, according to Forbes. The magazine also knocked the 48-year-old Edmontonian down to a 52-way tie for 721st spot on its annual listing of the world's wealthiest people. He was number 468 on the list in 2009. In 2008, Katz was in a 32-way tie for the 573rd spot. In 2007, Forbes ranked him 538th, down from 486th a year earlier. Katz owns one of the largest pharmacy chains in North America and bought the NHL's Oilers for $200 million in 2008. Another homegrown billionaire tops Katz on the Forbes list. David Cheriton was ranked ..."
Dubnyk strong in Montreal debut
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March 12
Edmonton Journal
 
"The last time Devan Dubnyk was at a hockey game in Montreal, he was 17 and sitting in the press box about 200 feet away from the action. He got a much different view on Thursday. Dubnyk faced the famed Montreal Canadiens in the Bell Centre. Despite his best eff orts, he still couldn't find his way into the win column. The Edmonton Oilers rookie goalie faced 26 shots over 65 minutes, turned away the first four players he faced in the shootout, and left the ice with a 5-4 loss after Andrei Kostitsyn scored the deciding goal. "I thought Dubs fought hard tonight. I didn't like the second goal very much, but he fought back and made some good stops for us," said Oilers head coach Pat Quinn. "His ..."
Canadiens beat Oilers in shootout
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March 12
Edmonton Journal
 
"Maybe it was the mystique of Montreal, something Dustin Penner had not yet experienced. Or perhaps it was that he was reunited with Gilbert Brule. Maybe it really was the apple juice he drank before Thursday's game. Whatever it was, it was a different Penner playing in the Oilers' 5-4 shootout loss to the Canadiens at the Bell Centre. About his only regret when it was over was that he wasn't able to convert a five-star chance when the game was tied 4-4 in the third. He hit the post with his first shot, was stopped by goaltender Jaroslav Halak on the rebound, and drew a hooking penalty for his efforts. "I was curious why I missed on the first one -- I guess he took a penalty on my original ..."
Gilbert filling some big skates
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March 12
Edmonton Sun
 
"Tom Gilbert better get used to the workload. From now until the end of the season, the Edmonton Oilers defenceman is expected to play on the top pairing, kill penalties and man the point on the power play. He's gone from logging just over 21 minutes of ice time a night to playing a team-high 27:07 Tuesday in a 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators. He'll probably play similar minutes Thursday as the Oilers begin a four-game road trip in Montreal. "He's going to have to get used to playing that much," said Oilers head coach Pat Quinn. "That's part of developing your conditioning and your mental play, so you can take up more time. Tom is conditioned well and we figured he's able to play more time. ..."
Penner's energy crisis
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March 12
Edmonton Sun
 
"At times lately, Dustin Penner looked like he'd hit the wall. Or that he had one tied to his back. The legs and lungs just weren't there, and neither was the production. After roaring out of the gate with 38 points in his first 33 games, the big winger had just 10 points in his next 30 games. "In the second half he seemed to have less energy," said head coach Pat Quinn. "He seemed to have an energy problem and seemed to be slowing down. "It has been a little bit of a slide for him, not getting near the production that he did early." So dramatic was the change, the Oilers are actually wondering if Penner's issue is health related. Quinn compared the drop-off to Mike Comrie when he came down ..."
Terrible timing, says Oilers GM
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March 12
Edmonton Sun
 
"Steve Tambellini admits the timing is terrible. General managers emerge from high-priority meetings in Florida determined to crack down on head shots and punish those who prey on vulnerable opponents, and the first thing the NHL does is give Matt Cooke a free pass for trying to decapitate Marc Savard. Tambellini said this is a perfect example of why things need to change. "Going forward that will not be a legal hit, the league will be able to take action on something like that," said the Oilers GM, adding the letter of the law right now says there's nothing wrong with head hunting. "Under the older rules, he didn't do anything illegal. That's why the language is going to change." The lack ..."
'There's a lot of luck in the shootout,' Halak says
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March 12
Montreal Gazette
 
"To a man, the Canadiens were in agreement – they didn't play a very good game. But, at this time of year, it's the result that counts and Thursday night's 5-4 shootout win over the woeful Edmonton Oilers allowed the Canadiens to take another step toward a playoff berth in the NHL Eastern Conference. "That's the important thing," said Brian Gionta, who was happy to hear that the Atlanta Thrashers lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Canadiens are in seventh place, wedged between Phila-delphia and Boston, which each holds three games on Montreal. But, with Montreal on a four-game winning streak, the Canadiens have opened some ground between themselves and the teams chasing one of the final ..."
Habs escape with 5-4 SO win over Oilers
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March 12
Montreal Gazette
 
"Andrei Kostitsyn, the Canadiens' fifth shooter, beat rookie Devan Dubnyk for the only goal of the shootout as the Canadiens beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 Thursday night. This was hardly a classic, but the Canadiens were grateful to get two points on a night when Jaroslav Halak didn't have his best game. He struggled in regulation time, but saved his best for last. He made a shorthanded stop on Shawn Horcoff in overtime and then stopped all five shots in the shootout. The Oilers did the Habs a favour by starting Dubnyk, who has never won an NHL game, but Halak wasn't much better. Dubnyk gave up four goals on 26 shots, while Halak surrendered four on 25 shots. The win moved the Canadiens even ..."
Ryan Whitney left game in second period and did not return
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March 12
Edmonton Journal
 (scroll down)
"Maybe it was the mystique of ­Montreal, something Dustin Penner had not yet experienced. Or perhaps it was that he was reunited with ­Gilbert Brule. Maybe it really was the apple juice he drank before Thursday's game. Whatever it was, it was a different Penner playing in the Oilers' 5-4 shootout loss to the Canadiens. About his only regret when it was over was that he wasn't able to convert a five-star chance when the game was tied 4-4 in the third. He hit the post with his first shot, was stopped by goaltender Jaroslav Halak on the rebound, and drew a hooking penalty for his efforts. "I was curious why I missed on the first one — I guess he took a penalty on my original chance — then if I ..."
Johnson plays for next year's contract
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March 11
Edmonton Journal
 
"As he shuttled from one gig to the next, Aaron Johnson, the vagabond defenceman, had the essentials -- his cellphone, laptop and work ethic, which has been his calling card. The rest of his seasonal possessions were stuffed into his Cadillac Escalade when he left Chicago. "It's been that kind of year," said Johnson, who joined the Edmonton Oilers blue-line on trade deadline day. Between Chicago and Edmonton, there was a 22-game layover in Calgary that ended when the Flames picked up veteran defenceman Steve Staios from the Oilers. Johnson may not be unpacking any time soon either, not with unrestricted free agency looming. Once the Oilers season ends on April 11 against the Anaheim Ducks, ..."
Theo's time to shine with Oilers
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March 11
Edmonton Sun
 
"Theo Peckham didn't make much of a first impression with the Edmonton Oilers coaching staff this season. But his second one has been impressive. "The first time I came here, I was just getting back from an ankle injury, I think I had only played three or four games in the AHL," said Peckham. "Coming off the injury that I had, conditioning was going to be an issue. I didn't have enough time to get my feet under me. At the same time, I really can't use that as an excuse, I should have been ready. But I've been given a second chance and I want to take advantage of it." In his second stint with the club, Peckham has provided the Oilers with a level of physical play on the blue-line that has ..."
Neil would like NHL to drill Oiler
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March 11
Ottawa Sun
 
"Chris Neil woke up with a headache Wednesday. The Senators winger was still feeling the effects of a cross-check he took to the head from Oilers defenceman Ryan Whitney in the first period of Ottawa's 4-1 victory over Edmonton on Tuesday. While Neil was on the ice for the club's 30-minute practice Wednesday at the Saddledome, he wasn't happy the refereees only gave Whitney a two-minute minor. Not only did Whitney drill Neil in the head, he also caught him in the shoulder. "That was a headshot, for sure," said Neil. "You want to get that kind of stuff out of the game. I didn't even see him coming. I know he's behind me, but my back is to him. I wasn't even facing him. That's the kind of ..."
Khabibulin discusses injury, no comment on DUI charge
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March 10
Edmonton Journal
 
"Edmonton Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin spoke to reporters on Tuesday, but would not discuss his February drunk-driving charge in Arizona, which could land him in jail. Instead, he spoke only of his lost NHL season due to back surgery. "I've been advised by legal counsel I cannot talk about it ... sorry," said the 37-year-old Khabibulin, who has a court appearance March 16 on the extreme DUI charge. Police say his blood-alcohol level was reportedly .164, more than double the legal limit in Arizona. He could face a minimum of 30 days in jail if convicted of the Feb. 8 offence, although the court could suspend 20 of those 30 days if he undergoes testing or treatment. He was also charged ..."
Edmonton Oilers lose 4-1 to Ottawa
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March 10
Edmonton Journal
 
"Edmonton Oilers coach Pat Quinn has adopted a win-and-you're-in philosophy with his young goalies in the last six weeks, so we'll see what happens now that Jeff Deslauriers has turned mortal. Deslauriers had beaten Minnesota's Finnish Olympic teamer Niklas Backstrom 2-1 and New Jersey's Canadian Olympic teamer Marty Brodeur 2-0, stopping 60 straight shots at one point, but he could only do so much against the withering attack of the Ottawa Senators when they kept firing on Tuesday. They directed 73 shots Deslauriers' way, with 39 of them either finding Deslauriers or the net, with the other 34 either sailing wide or blocked. In the final analysis, they eventually wore down the netminder ..."
Khabibulin speaks, but not about DUI charge
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March 10
Edmonton Sun
 
"Nikolai Khabibulin finally came out of hiding Tuesday, two months after his back surgery and four weeks after an impaired driving charge in Scottsdale, Ariz. The Oilers goaltender met with the media for six minutes, but says he won't discuss his DUI arrest while it's still before the courts. Scottsdale police allege Khabibulin was travelling at an estimated 96 km/h in a 72 km/h zone when they pulled over his Black Ferrari on Super Bowl Sunday, when the Oilers where in Phoenix. He was subsequently charged with extreme DUI (a blood alcohol level over .15) "I've been advised by legal counsel that until everything is resolved I can't talk about it, so, sorry," said Khabibulin. His back ..."
Brule burns for ice time
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March 9
Edmonton Journal
 
"This is a fairly representative message board query on Gilbert Brule. "Somebody has to do an article on why Brule sits so much. He's fourth on the team in scoring, gets zero power-play time, and lots of guys on the Oilers get way more ice-time. Is he scapegoat for everything that goes wrong?" Signed, Frustrated. Brule has a vocal following. The fans don't get why he's playing only 14:10 a game despite having 14 goals and 30 points and a minus-three ranking. Patrick O'Sullivan plays 17:45 a night, has 31 points and is minus-32, while Robert Nilsson plays an average of 15:02 and has seven goals. "It's great to have that fan support. I love that, obviously, but it's totally out of my control ..."
Injury jinx follows Grebeshkov, underwent emergency surgery on testicle
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March 9
Edmonton Journal
 
"Denis Grebeshkov brought his puck-moving flare to Nashville last week. Unfortunately, the Edmonton Oilers' injury bug also followed him to the Predators. The former Oilers defenceman got hit in the groin with a shot during the Predators' 4-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday. The blue-liner reportedly needed emergency surgery on one of his testicles after the game."
Oilers give Johnson chance to shine
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March 9
Edmonton Sun
 
"All Aaron Johnson wanted was a chance. Caught in a numbers game behind a litany of talented defencemen with the Calgary Flames, the native of Port Hawkesbury, N.S., felt he never got a real opportunity to show what he was capable of. He's now getting that chance with the Edmonton Oilers and will be back in the lineup when they host the Ottawa Senators tonight (7:30 p.m.) at Rexall Place. "You would think a lot of guys would be disappointed to be traded to a last-place team, but I was extremely excited," Johnson said. "It was an easy move for me just to come up the highway. It is a good opportunity for me to prove myself and try to earn a job."
Brule seizing chances
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March 9
Edmonton Sun
 
"He's making the most with what's been given. But there have been situations that demand the question of why Gilbert Brule hasn't been given more? The Oilers forward was the team's most dangerous player against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, scoring the winning goal in a 2-0 shutout. "We have seen good stretches from him," said head coach Pat Quinn. "I think Gilbert is a good athlete. His hands are good, his feet are good. For a small man, he'll compete physically. " I think he's a guy that you want to keep the game simple and allow him to use the skills that he has. "He's been really good lately with his consistency. In some of the games his level has fallen off — which is true of a lot ..."
Lemaire damns Devils with faint praise
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March 8
Edmonton Journal
 
"Jacques Lemaire made the Hall of Fame on his offensive ability, playing with Guy Lafleur and Steve Shutt in the Montreal Canadiens' 1970s glory days, but as a coach, he's not much of a stick-handler. "Any positives at all?" the New Jersey Devils coach was asked. "The goalie," said Lemaire, letting his two-word answer hang in the air for several seconds. "Lucky we had him, or they could have scored, five, six, seven goals." Martin Brodeur looked like a guy who's only eight wins from 600, but he couldn't do it alone against the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night in a 2-0 loss as Jeff Deslauriers bettered his boyhood idol. Brodeur faced 32 shots in the last 40 minutes and made several stunning ..."
Boogaard's knee puts Jones out for at least four weeks
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March 8
Edmonton Journal
 
"After just one game in an Edmonton Oilers jersey, Ryan Jones is heading to the trainer's room for at least four weeks. Nailed knee-on-knee by Derek Boogaard of the Minnesota Wild in the Oilers' 2-1 shootout victory on Friday, Jones was left with a second-degree tear of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee. Boogaard received a two-game suspension. "One guy loses two games, one guy is going to lose four weeks. That seems fair," said Edmonton head coach Pat Quinn, who has seen far too many players go down this season."
Deslauriers bedevils Jersey
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March 8
Edmonton Journal
 
"His idol, the venerable Martin Brodeur, stood across the way, manning the net for the New Jersey Devils. Edmonton Oilers sophomore Jeff Deslauriers didn't even feign nonchalance. This was not just another game. It was just another shutout as it turned out, but not just another game. "During the warm-up, there he was, across the ice, and I was thinking, 'Is this real?' " said Deslauriers who turned away 22 shots, including a breakaway by Ilya Kovalchuk, en route to a 2-0 victory on Sunday at Rexall Place. It was the second straight win for the Oilers, who hadn't won two in a row since they bettered the Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers Feb. 1 and 3. The latter game was also a ..."
Jones quick to join wounded brigade
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March 8
Edmonton Journal
 
"It didn't take former Nashville Predators winger Ryan Jones long to fit in. He's hurt, like just about everybody else on the Edmonton Oilers. Jones hasn't got the results of his MRI yet on his sprained right knee to see if he's days or weeks from recovery. He could be out the rest of the season, joining Ladislav Smid, J.F. Jacques, Ales Hemsky, Sheldon Souray and Nikolai Khabibulin. But as he limped into the Rexall Place on Saturday morning after his MRI, he jokingly asked Oilers equipment manager Barrie Stafford for a hand to the dressing room. "Piggy-back?" kidded Jones, who was taken down by Derek Boogaard's right leg seven minutes into Friday's 2-1 shootout victory over the Minnesota ..."
Smid joins parade to surgery
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March 8
Edmonton Journal
 
"Ladislav Smid dropped in front of shots with reckless abandon, but when he started dropping his stick for no apparent reason, he had a feeling something was seriously wrong. And there was -- no feeling in his hands. The Edmonton Oilers defenceman, who's been one of their best this season along with the now-departed Lubomir Visnovsky, had a bulging neck disc pushing on his spine. The strength in his hands and arms had deteriorated to the point where he'll have go under the knife on March 16 in Los Angeles with noted surgeon Dr. Robert Watkins to repair the problem. Smid won't be able to exercise strenuously for three to four months, but should be ready for training camp in the fall, just ..."
Edmonton Oilers beat New Jersey Devils 2-0
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March 8
Edmonton Journal
 
"His idol, the venerable Martin Brodeur, stood across the way, manning the net for the New Jersey Devils. Edmonton Oilers sophomore Jeff Deslauriers didn't even feign nonchalance. This was not just another game. It was just another shutout as it turned out, but not just another game. "During the warm-up, there he was, across the ice, and I was thinking, 'Is this real?' " said Des-lauriers who turned away 22 shots, including a breakaway by Ilya Kovalchuk, en route to a 2-0 victory on Sunday at Rexall Place. It was the second straight win for the Oilers, who hadn't won two in a row since they bettered the Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers Feb. 1 and 3. The latter game was also a ..."
Surprising Oilers handcuff Devils
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March 8
Edmonton Sun
 
"If you told the Edmonton Oilers they were only going to score three goals in their last two games it wouldn't come as much of a surprise given their seeming allergy to twine this season. But if you told them they'd win both games, well, that's another story. In giving up one goal to the Minnesota Wild and none to the New Jersey Devils, the suddenly chintzy Oilers are on a roll. "JD is the story there, he's been really sharp in both games," head coach Pat Quinn said after netminder Jeff Deslauriers posted a 2-0 shutout victory. "We were pretty good in front of him, too, but boy he made some great stops, too. "He's not guessing right now, he's playing like he knows what's happening out ..."
Oil lose Jones, likely done for season
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March 8
Edmonton Sun
 
"Newly acquired winger Ryan Jones is likely done for the season after the Derek Boogaard cheap shot in the first period of Jones's first home game with the Oilers. He has a second-degree tear in the MCL of his right knee and will miss about four weeks. With only five weeks left in the season, it doesn't look good for a return. Boogaard was only given a two-game wrist slap in the latest example of Colin Campbell's apparent lack of concern for the safety of NHL players. "That seems fair, one guy loses two games, the other guy is going to lose four weeks," said Oilers coach Pat Quinn, the sarcasm ringing loudly and clearly. The NHL has deaf ears when it comes to protecting its players, so ..."
Oilers turn the tables
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March 8
Edmonton Sun
 
"It was the type of game Jacques Lemaire's teams usually win, not lose. Yet on Sunday, it was the New Jersey Devils who were stifled defensively, out-worked for the puck and back on their heels in a 2-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. "We had a hard time making a play," said Lemaire. "We were hitting a leg or a stick. Our focus wasn't there, our legs weren't there. Maybe we felt that because we were playing a team that doesn't win a lot of games, we could just go through the motions. But we've talked about this all year, to win games you have to work.""
Ailing Oilers lining up for surgery
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March 7
Edmonton Journal
 
"Ladislav Smid will have surgery in Los Angeles March 16 to repair a bulging disc in his neck. The Edmonton Oilers' defenceman, who had paired with the just traded Lubomir Visnovsky to give them their best tag-team, will be out three to four months before he can resume any real physical activity. He joins Ales Hemsky (shoulder surgery), Nik Khabibulin and J.F. Jacques (back surgeries), and Sheldon Souray (broken hand, now infected) gone for the rest of the season, with the team waiting to see how bad newcomer Ryan Jones's sprained right knee is after a knee-on-knee hit by Minnesota's Derek Boogaard Friday night. Boogaard was suspended two games for the hit, even though he got off with a ..."
Tough start for Oiler Jones
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March 7
Edmonton Sun
 
"It didn't take long for Ryan Jones to fit in with the Edmonton Oilers. One period into his first home game, he got injured. The newly acquired winger was walking around the Edmonton dressing room on Saturday, a day after Minnesota's Derek Boogaard stuck out a knee on him. "Those kind of things happen in the game," said Jones, who isn't bitter about the incident. "I didn't quite see it coming. I saw video afterwards and it looks bad, but nobody's going to mean to do those kind of things. I know him from (training) in the summer. We're not best friends, but we know each other. I talked to him this morning ... it was just one of those things, you're reacting to somebody making a move."
No options for Smid
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March 7
Edmonton Sun
 
"Ladislav Smid wishes he could blame his three-year scoring drought on the numbness in his hands, but he admits the touch was gone long before the feeling. "I've had issues with (scoring) for several years," grinned the 24-year-old defenceman, who has three goals in the last 176 games. "But this was the first time I experienced numbness in my fingers. My last few games, I lost my stick twice a game. That never used to happen to me." The problem is serious enough that Smid will require neck surgery to repair a vertebra later this month in Los Angeles, followed by a long rehabilitation process that will barely leave him enough time to get ready for next season. "Kind of sucks, needing ..."
Wild doesn't heed coach's warning
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March 6
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"From the moment he addressed the team after beating Calgary two nights earlier, Todd Richards warned the Wild to avoid a letdown Friday night against the Oilers. It was only natural, he said, to get up for a team ahead in the standings only to mentally unravel against the worst team in the NHL. Give Richards a hand. The coach knows his team well. During a shoddy display right from the opening faceoff against a team that had lost 27 of the previous 31 games and given up the most goals in the NHL, the Wild fell 2-1 in a shootout at Rexall Place. "We didn't seem to have a lot of desperation in our game," veteran Owen Nolan said. "We looked at an opponent that's bottom of the conference, and ..."
Wild play down to Oilers' level in shootout loss
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March 6
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"The Wild were living dangerously Friday night, playing the lowly Edmonton Oilers as if this might be a game they could ease their way through. "We looked at an opponent that's at the bottom of the conference," forward Owen Nolan said, "and we kind of played down to their level." It proved costly. Against a team that had won just once in its past eight games, the Wild were able to score just one goal and ended up bowing 2-1 to the Edmonton Oilers in a shootout at Rexall Place. They got one point for getting into overtime, but they desperately wanted two. "We gave up a point tonight," Wild coach Todd Richards said. On the heels of a 4-0 road victory over the Calgary Flames, the Wild had ..."
Eberle may get the call
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March 6
Edmonton Journal
 
"With the Regina Pats out of the running to make the Western Hockey League playoffs, Edmonton Oilers prospect Jordan Eberle is available to join the team. But he'll most likely head to the Springfield Falcons, the Oilers' American Hockey League affiliate, which is what he did last season when he had nine points in nine AHL games. Eberle leads the WHL in points with 97 in 52 games and is second to Kyle Beach (Spokane Chiefs) in goals with 46. In all of Canadian junior hockey, only one player, Tyler Seguin, the possible first overall pick in the June NHL entry draft, has more points than Eberle with 99. The Oilers can make only four call-ups from the farm club between now and the end of the ..."
Edmonton Oilers beat Minnesota Wild 2-1 in shootout
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March 6
Edmonton Journal
 
"On Fan Appreciation Night, the Edmonton Oilers gave some folks at Rexall Place a trip to the NHL draft in Los Angeles to see if the club takes Taylor Hall or Tyler Sequin, and the fans got a bonus. A win. The Oilers beat the Minnesota Wild 2-1 in a shootout with Mike Comrie getting the winner on the sixth try, tucking one through the legs of Niklas Backstrom. Jeff Deslauriers then got an arm on Guillaume Latendresse's wrister to end the shootout as the Oilers won for the fifth time in the last 32 games. Comrie got the Oilers goal in regulation on a tuck job as he circled the net in the opening period, while Latendresse tied it in the second on a similar play on Deslauriers. The Oilers had ..."